Design and Simulation of a Small Agrivoltaic System
摘要
Due to the relatively diffuse nature of solar energy, large surface areas are required to produce enough clean renewable energy, such as with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, to meet the world’s energy needs. Although building integrated PV and rooftop PV may provide a large portion of this need, land-based PV farms can handle the remaining portion. The struggle for limited land resources would worsen if huge areas of land are used for solar farms since both the need for electricity and food production are rising. The growing population makes this fight for land worse. These related land problems can be resolved by co-developing the same plot of land for solar PV electricity and agricultural purposes, which is known as agrivoltaics. To address these related land issues, the idea of agrivoltaics, or developing the same piece of land for both conventional agriculture and solar PV electricity, can be used. In this study, the literature on various agrivoltaic models is reviewed and summarized. A linked simulation model for PV generation (PV system) and agricultural production (simulator multidisciplinary fewer cultures standard (STICS) crop model) is developed to evaluate the technological viability of scaling agrivoltaic systems. The results showed that farms using agrivoltaic systems experienced an increase in the economic value of over 30% compared to conventional farms because of the value of solar-generated power and the development of crops that can withstand shadow. Agricultural output losses can be decreased by using shade-tolerant plants, preserving the stability of the commodity. This dual use of agricultural land may also have a substantial influence on national PV output.